Royal Road to Card Magic The

with the left thumb, taking them with the right hand. Do this at a fairly rapid pace, but not too fast. As you begin, say, 'You might think I detect your card by your expression when you see it; therefore I shall not attempt to watch you.' This is your excuse for looking at the cards as you run them off.
    6. Watch for the index of the five of spades. The moment you see it, note the card you have just taken in your right hand, which will be the chosen card. Let us suppose that this card is the ten of hearts. Begin at once to spell ten of hearts mentally, saying to yourself
t
for the ten of hearts you have already taken in your right hand,
e
as you take the five of spades (the glimpsed card),
n
for the next card,
o
and
f
for the next two, and so on until you arrive at the letter
s
.
    7. At this point separate your hands rather widely, look at the spectator and ask him, 'Have you seen your card?' He replies 'Yes.' Bring your hands together, at the same time gripping the packet in the left hand between the thumb and index finger and extending the other fingers so that you can slide the right-hand packet under the left-hand packet smoothly (figure 47). Do this quietly, without looking at your hands, while saying to the spectator, 'Very well. No use going any farther.'

    8. You now have everything set for the climax, so you tell the spectators what you are going to do. 'I shall deal cards from the top and as I do so I want you to spell the name of your card mentally, one letter for each card. Suppose your card is the queen of hearts; as I deal the first card you will say to yourself
q
, for the next card
u
, the third card
e
, and so on; and don't forget the
o-f
. Is that clear? Very well. When you come to the last letter just call “Stop!” and the card in my hand at that moment will be the very card of which you are thinking. Impossible, you say? Well, let's try it.'
    Deal the cards deliberately and keep a check on the spelling yourself, for you know the card.
    9. When the spectator calls 'Stop!' keep the card in your hand face downwards and say, 'Now, you have thought of a card [ignore the fact that he actually took it from the pack and replaced it] and you have spelled its name mentally. Would you be surprised to find that the cards have arranged themselves automatically so that this card at which you called “Stop!” is your card? You would? Then name your card.'
    'The ten of hearts.'
    Turn the card face upwards slowly and reveal that very card.
    The above feat can be made even more effective in the following way:
    1. Follow the same procedure up to the point at which you have spelled out the name of the chosen card and have arrived at the last letter, in step 6. At once note the next card, which let us say is the king of hearts. Continue running cards and mentally spell this card, taking one card for each letter until you reach the s; then separate your hands and ask the spectator if he has seen his card. As before, in putting the two packets together you place the right-hand packet underneath the one in your left hand.
    2. Turn the deck face downwards and you are set to spell out, first, the king of hearts. Explain to the spectator the peculiar property of playing cards by which, under certain conditions, they place themselves in position to be spelled out and appear on the final letter. 'For example,' you say, 'suppose I name a card, any card - let us say the king of hearts - and spell it out dealing a card for each letter. We shall find the king of hearts in that position.
    'You don't believe me? Very well, let's try.'
    Spell
k-i-n-g-o-f-h-e-a-r-t-s
, dealing one card for each letter, and turn up the king of hearts on the final s. 'You see, the result is infallible if you concentrate on the card you want to appear. You take the deck, think intently of your card, then spell it mentally, dealing a card for each letter, as I did.'
    3. The spectator follows your instructions and stops the deal on his last letter. You ask him, 'Have you spelled the name of the card of which you are thinking?'
    'Yes.'
    'Would you be surprised if the next card is your card? You would? Very well. Name your card.' He does so and you have a climax that will astonish the onlookers and one that you yourself will enjoy.
    Round and Round
    This fine self-working trick makes use of the fan peek.
    1. Take any ten cards from the pack and have them shuffled. Turn your back and instruct the spectator to look at and remember the top card, after